Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes from Continuum Reverberation Mapping from the Dark Energy Survey

D. Mudd; P. Martini; Y. Zu; C. Kochanek; B. M. Peterson; R. Kessler; T. M. Davis; J. K. Hoormann; A. King; C. Lidman; N. E. Sommer; B. E. Tucker; J. Asorey; S. Hinton; K. Glazebrook; K. Kuehn; G. Lewis; E. Macaulay; A. Moeller; C. O'Neill; B. Zhang; T. M.C. Abbott; F. B. Abdalla; S. Allam; M. Banerji; A. Benoit-Lévy; E. Bertin; D. Brooks; A. Carnero Rosell; D. Carollo; M. Carrasco Kind; J. Carretero; C. E. Cunha; C. B. D'Andrea; L. N.Da Costa; C. Davis; S. Desai; P. Doel; P. Fosalba; J. García-Bellido; E. Gaztanaga; D. W. Gerdes; D. Gruen; R. A. Gruendl; J. Gschwend; G. Gutierrez; W. G. Hartley; K. Honscheid; D. J. James; S. Kuhlmann; N. Kuropatkin; M. Lima; M. A.G. Maia; J. L. Marshall; R. G. McMahon; F. Menanteau; R. Miquel; A. A. Plazas; A. K. Romer; E. Sanchez; R. Schindler; M. Schubnell; M. Smith; R. C. Smith; M. Soares-Santos; F. Sobreira; E. Suchyta; M. E.C. Swanson; G. Tarle; D. Thomas; D. L. Tucker; A. R. Walker

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb

Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes from Continuum Reverberation Mapping from the Dark Energy Survey

D. Mudd, P. Martini, Y. Zu, C. Kochanek, B. M. Peterson, R. Kessler, T. M. Davis, J. K. Hoormann, A. King, C. Lidman, N. E. Sommer, B. E. Tucker, J. Asorey, S. Hinton, K. Glazebrook, K. Kuehn, G. Lewis, E. Macaulay, A. Moeller, C. O'NeillB. Zhang, T. M.C. Abbott, F. B. Abdalla, S. Allam, M. Banerji, A. Benoit-Lévy, E. Bertin, D. Brooks, A. Carnero Rosell, D. Carollo, M. Carrasco Kind, J. Carretero, C. E. Cunha, C. B. D'Andrea, L. N.Da Costa, C. Davis, S. Desai, P. Doel, P. Fosalba, J. García-Bellido, E. Gaztanaga, D. W. Gerdes, D. Gruen, R. A. Gruendl, J. Gschwend, G. Gutierrez, W. G. Hartley, K. Honscheid, D. J. James, S. Kuhlmann, N. Kuropatkin, M. Lima, M. A.G. Maia, J. L. Marshall, R. G. McMahon, F. Menanteau, R. Miquel, A. A. Plazas, A. K. Romer, E. Sanchez, R. Schindler, M. Schubnell, M. Smith, R. C. Smith, M. Soares-Santos, F. Sobreira, E. Suchyta, M. E.C. Swanson, G. Tarle, D. Thomas, D. L. Tucker, A. R. Walker

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Abstract

We present accretion disk size measurements for 15 luminous quasars at 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 1.9 derived from griz light curves from the Dark Energy Survey. We measure the disk sizes with continuum reverberation mapping using two methods, both of which are derived from the expectation that accretion disks have a radial temperature gradient and the continuum emission at a given radius is well described by a single blackbody. In the first method we measure the relative lags between the multiband light curves, which provides the relative time lag between shorter and longer wavelength variations. From this, we are only able to constrain upper limits on disk sizes, as many are consistent with no lag the 2σ level. The second method fits the model parameters for the canonical thin disk directly rather than solving for the individual time lags between the light curves. Our measurements demonstrate good agreement with the sizes predicted by this model for accretion rates between 0.3 and 1 times the Eddington rate. Given our large uncertainties, our measurements are also consistent with disk size measurements from gravitational microlensing studies of strongly lensed quasars, as well as other photometric reverberation mapping results, that find disk sizes that are a factor of a few (∼3) larger than predictions.

Original language	English
Article number	123
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	862
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb
State	Published - Aug 1 2018

Funding

The DES data management system is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. AST-1138766. The DES participants from Spanish institutions are partially supported by MINECO under grants AYA2012-39559, ESP2013-48274, FPA2013-47986, and Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa SEV-2012-0234. Research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Unions Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) including ERC grant agreements 240672, 291329, and 306478. This manuscript has been authored by Fermi Research Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11359 with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. D.M. would like to thank Michael Fausnaugh for helpful discussions throughout the project and Martin Gaskell for providing useful feedback. Funding for the DES Projects has been provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Education of Spain, the Science and Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago, the Center for Cosmology and Astro-Particle Physics at the Ohio State University, the Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Part of this research was conducted by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), through project number CE110001020. Janeiro, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico and the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Collaborating Institutions in the Dark Energy Survey. Part of this research was funded by the Australian Research Council through project DP160100930.

Funders	Funder number
Not added	ST/M005305/1, ST/N000927/1
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics	CE110001020
Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa	SEV-2012-0234
Collaborating Institutions in the Dark Energy Survey
FP7/2007
Fermi Research Alliance, LLC	DE-AC02-07CH11359
Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago
Ministry of Science and Education of Spain
Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University
National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
U.S. National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation	1138766, AST-1138766
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science
High Energy Physics
Seventh Framework Programme	240672, 306478, 291329
Higher Education Funding Council for England
Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Ohio State University
Engineering Research Centers
Science and Technology Facilities Council	ST/K000985/1
European Research Council
Australian Research Council	DP160100930
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad	FPA2013-47986, AYA2012-39559, ESP2013-48274
Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
Seventh Framework Programme

Keywords

accretion, accretion disks
galaxies: active
quasars: general

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10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb

Cite this

Mudd, D., Martini, P., Zu, Y., Kochanek, C., Peterson, B. M., Kessler, R., Davis, T. M., Hoormann, J. K., King, A., Lidman, C., Sommer, N. E., Tucker, B. E., Asorey, J., Hinton, S., Glazebrook, K., Kuehn, K., Lewis, G., Macaulay, E., Moeller, A., ... Walker, A. R. (2018). Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes from Continuum Reverberation Mapping from the Dark Energy Survey. Astrophysical Journal, 862(2), Article 123. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb

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title = "Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes from Continuum Reverberation Mapping from the Dark Energy Survey",

abstract = "We present accretion disk size measurements for 15 luminous quasars at 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 1.9 derived from griz light curves from the Dark Energy Survey. We measure the disk sizes with continuum reverberation mapping using two methods, both of which are derived from the expectation that accretion disks have a radial temperature gradient and the continuum emission at a given radius is well described by a single blackbody. In the first method we measure the relative lags between the multiband light curves, which provides the relative time lag between shorter and longer wavelength variations. From this, we are only able to constrain upper limits on disk sizes, as many are consistent with no lag the 2σ level. The second method fits the model parameters for the canonical thin disk directly rather than solving for the individual time lags between the light curves. Our measurements demonstrate good agreement with the sizes predicted by this model for accretion rates between 0.3 and 1 times the Eddington rate. Given our large uncertainties, our measurements are also consistent with disk size measurements from gravitational microlensing studies of strongly lensed quasars, as well as other photometric reverberation mapping results, that find disk sizes that are a factor of a few (∼3) larger than predictions.",

keywords = "accretion, accretion disks, galaxies: active, quasars: general",

author = "D. Mudd and P. Martini and Y. Zu and C. Kochanek and Peterson, {B. M.} and R. Kessler and Davis, {T. M.} and Hoormann, {J. K.} and A. King and C. Lidman and Sommer, {N. E.} and Tucker, {B. E.} and J. Asorey and S. Hinton and K. Glazebrook and K. Kuehn and G. Lewis and E. Macaulay and A. Moeller and C. O'Neill and B. Zhang and Abbott, {T. M.C.} and Abdalla, {F. B.} and S. Allam and M. Banerji and A. Benoit-L{\'e}vy and E. Bertin and D. Brooks and Rosell, {A. Carnero} and D. Carollo and Kind, {M. Carrasco} and J. Carretero and Cunha, {C. E.} and D'Andrea, {C. B.} and Costa, {L. N.Da} and C. Davis and S. Desai and P. Doel and P. Fosalba and J. Garc{\'i}a-Bellido and E. Gaztanaga and Gerdes, {D. W.} and D. Gruen and Gruendl, {R. A.} and J. Gschwend and G. Gutierrez and Hartley, {W. G.} and K. Honscheid and James, {D. J.} and S. Kuhlmann and N. Kuropatkin and M. Lima and Maia, {M. A.G.} and Marshall, {J. L.} and McMahon, {R. G.} and F. Menanteau and R. Miquel and Plazas, {A. A.} and Romer, {A. K.} and E. Sanchez and R. Schindler and M. Schubnell and M. Smith and Smith, {R. C.} and M. Soares-Santos and F. Sobreira and E. Suchyta and Swanson, {M. E.C.} and G. Tarle and D. Thomas and Tucker, {D. L.} and Walker, {A. R.}",

year = "2018",

month = aug,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb",

language = "English",

volume = "862",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2",

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Mudd, D, Martini, P, Zu, Y, Kochanek, C, Peterson, BM, Kessler, R, Davis, TM, Hoormann, JK, King, A, Lidman, C, Sommer, NE, Tucker, BE, Asorey, J, Hinton, S, Glazebrook, K, Kuehn, K, Lewis, G, Macaulay, E, Moeller, A, O'Neill, C, Zhang, B, Abbott, TMC, Abdalla, FB, Allam, S, Banerji, M, Benoit-Lévy, A, Bertin, E, Brooks, D, Rosell, AC, Carollo, D, Kind, MC, Carretero, J, Cunha, CE, D'Andrea, CB, Costa, LND, Davis, C, Desai, S, Doel, P, Fosalba, P, García-Bellido, J, Gaztanaga, E, Gerdes, DW, Gruen, D, Gruendl, RA, Gschwend, J, Gutierrez, G, Hartley, WG, Honscheid, K, James, DJ, Kuhlmann, S, Kuropatkin, N, Lima, M, Maia, MAG, Marshall, JL, McMahon, RG, Menanteau, F, Miquel, R, Plazas, AA, Romer, AK, Sanchez, E, Schindler, R, Schubnell, M, Smith, M, Smith, RC, Soares-Santos, M, Sobreira, F, Suchyta, E, Swanson, MEC, Tarle, G, Thomas, D, Tucker, DL & Walker, AR 2018, 'Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes from Continuum Reverberation Mapping from the Dark Energy Survey', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 862, no. 2, 123. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes from Continuum Reverberation Mapping from the Dark Energy Survey

AU - Mudd, D.

AU - Martini, P.

AU - Zu, Y.

AU - Kochanek, C.

AU - Peterson, B. M.

AU - Kessler, R.

AU - Davis, T. M.

AU - Hoormann, J. K.

AU - King, A.

AU - Lidman, C.

AU - Sommer, N. E.

AU - Tucker, B. E.

AU - Asorey, J.

AU - Hinton, S.

AU - Glazebrook, K.

AU - Kuehn, K.

AU - Lewis, G.

AU - Macaulay, E.

AU - Moeller, A.

AU - O'Neill, C.

AU - Zhang, B.

AU - Abbott, T. M.C.

AU - Abdalla, F. B.

AU - Allam, S.

AU - Banerji, M.

AU - Benoit-Lévy, A.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Rosell, A. Carnero

AU - Carollo, D.

AU - Kind, M. Carrasco

AU - Carretero, J.

AU - Cunha, C. E.

AU - D'Andrea, C. B.

AU - Costa, L. N.Da

AU - Davis, C.

AU - Desai, S.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Fosalba, P.

AU - García-Bellido, J.

AU - Gaztanaga, E.

AU - Gerdes, D. W.

AU - Gruen, D.

AU - Gruendl, R. A.

AU - Gschwend, J.

AU - Gutierrez, G.

AU - Hartley, W. G.

AU - Honscheid, K.

AU - James, D. J.

AU - Kuhlmann, S.

AU - Kuropatkin, N.

AU - Lima, M.

AU - Maia, M. A.G.

AU - Marshall, J. L.

AU - McMahon, R. G.

AU - Menanteau, F.

AU - Miquel, R.

AU - Plazas, A. A.

AU - Romer, A. K.

AU - Sanchez, E.

AU - Schindler, R.

AU - Schubnell, M.

AU - Smith, M.

AU - Smith, R. C.

AU - Soares-Santos, M.

AU - Sobreira, F.

AU - Suchyta, E.

AU - Swanson, M. E.C.

AU - Tarle, G.

AU - Thomas, D.

AU - Tucker, D. L.

AU - Walker, A. R.

PY - 2018/8/1

Y1 - 2018/8/1

N2 - We present accretion disk size measurements for 15 luminous quasars at 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 1.9 derived from griz light curves from the Dark Energy Survey. We measure the disk sizes with continuum reverberation mapping using two methods, both of which are derived from the expectation that accretion disks have a radial temperature gradient and the continuum emission at a given radius is well described by a single blackbody. In the first method we measure the relative lags between the multiband light curves, which provides the relative time lag between shorter and longer wavelength variations. From this, we are only able to constrain upper limits on disk sizes, as many are consistent with no lag the 2σ level. The second method fits the model parameters for the canonical thin disk directly rather than solving for the individual time lags between the light curves. Our measurements demonstrate good agreement with the sizes predicted by this model for accretion rates between 0.3 and 1 times the Eddington rate. Given our large uncertainties, our measurements are also consistent with disk size measurements from gravitational microlensing studies of strongly lensed quasars, as well as other photometric reverberation mapping results, that find disk sizes that are a factor of a few (∼3) larger than predictions.

AB - We present accretion disk size measurements for 15 luminous quasars at 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 1.9 derived from griz light curves from the Dark Energy Survey. We measure the disk sizes with continuum reverberation mapping using two methods, both of which are derived from the expectation that accretion disks have a radial temperature gradient and the continuum emission at a given radius is well described by a single blackbody. In the first method we measure the relative lags between the multiband light curves, which provides the relative time lag between shorter and longer wavelength variations. From this, we are only able to constrain upper limits on disk sizes, as many are consistent with no lag the 2σ level. The second method fits the model parameters for the canonical thin disk directly rather than solving for the individual time lags between the light curves. Our measurements demonstrate good agreement with the sizes predicted by this model for accretion rates between 0.3 and 1 times the Eddington rate. Given our large uncertainties, our measurements are also consistent with disk size measurements from gravitational microlensing studies of strongly lensed quasars, as well as other photometric reverberation mapping results, that find disk sizes that are a factor of a few (∼3) larger than predictions.

KW - accretion, accretion disks

KW - galaxies: active

KW - quasars: general

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051565377&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/aac9bb

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85051565377

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 862

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 123

ER -

Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes from Continuum Reverberation Mapping from the Dark Energy Survey

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